Archives for January 2011

‘The price tag on the team will be 175 million dollars, plus the debt being taken on by Pegula. Despite making the announcement the two sides still need to finish closing the deal. That should be done around the trading deadline.’

‘In the course of making his fortune, the Florida billionaire negotiating to buy the Buffalo Sabres contributed heavily to politicians in a position to advance his business interests and established a less-than-stellar track record in the environmentally dicey business of drilling for natural gas, The Buffalo News has found.’

‘"I’ve spent time with him on multiple occasions," Bettman said after a news conference in RBC Center as part of All-Star weekend. "I think he’s a good guy. He has the resources. He’s familiar with the area. I think when he lived in Pittsburgh he was a Sabres season-ticket holder. He obviously loves the game. He’s investing in it on all levels."’

‘Recent speculation that suggested Pegula would assume ownership after meeting with the full board this weekend was unfounded, as was speculation he would attend the full meeting. He is not eligible to attend the governors meetings until he officially becomes a governor. A league source estimated that Pegula would close on the sale in the next few weeks, or sometime in February, assuming negotiations continue without complications.’

‘Ennis figured he would mosey through the airport Friday without much trouble considering he’s a rookie from Buffalo who wasn’t part of the main event. He was stopped by about 20 autograph hounds minutes after stepping off the plane.’

”Come the deadline, if we hear Regier say “the market was too steep” to bring in players that could help him, it will be his own fault. There’s no question. We also will not be able to complain about his being aloof, or that he’s not learned from his mistakes in the past. He stated in the quotes that someone will set the market. Again, here’s his chance.”

”"Most of us have players that we would make available even right now for a trade, either because they’re underperforming and/or overpaid," Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier told us this week. "But it’s impossible right now to get an agreement on values. We’re all hoping that we’re going to be able to just charge a cost without taking anything back, and that’s not reality. So I think, yes, we’re all sitting around to the last day or two again [before the trade deadline]."